When school was done, Mary called her little boys and girls to come and sit around her while she read to them the Bible. She read to them about God creating the world; and how he made the heavens, and the bright stars, and the earth and all the people that live on it, and the flowers, and the birds and beasts, and every thing that has life. And then she read to them about Adam, the first man, and Eve, the first woman, and about the beautiful garden, called the garden of Eden, where they lived, and where they were very happy, until they were disobedient; and because they were disobedient they had to go out of the beautiful garden of Eden. “Is God, who made every thing, our Heavenly Father, Mary?” said Harry Linn. “Yes, Harry.” “Did God send Adam and Eve out of the beautiful garden because they were disobedient?” asked Carry Deacon. “Yes,” said Mary. “But, Mary, I thought you said our Heavenly Father loved us, and was kind to us. I do not think it was kind to send poor Adam and Eve away. Why did not God forgive them for being disobedient, as you did me this morning?” “They did not ask God to forgive them,” Mary said; “And you know, Carry, that when we have done wrong, we cannot be forgiven, until we are sorry that we have done wrong, and sincerely ask our Heavenly Father to forgive us.” “Did Adam and Eve _know_ they were to be sent away, if they were naughty?” asked Carry. Eddy Forester said, “Do you not remember, Carry, Mary read to us, that God showed Adam and Eve one tree in the garden, and told them not to touch it? and he told them if they ate the fruit on that tree, they should surely die.” “Oh, yes,” Carry said, “I remember now,” and the scholars all said they remembered that. “Well,” Mary said, “you know GOD IS TRUE. He always keeps his word. We must believe every word of God; but if God should not do what he said He would do, we could not believe Him. He said he would punish Adam and Eve, if they ate the fruit which he told them not to touch, and if he had not punished them, how could we believe every word God had spoken?” Carry said, “Does God love us any more, when He punishes us, Mary?” “Yes,” Mary said, “He punishes us sometimes when we do wrong, because He loves us and wants to make us love and obey Him. You know, Carry, your mother sends you away from her, when you are naughty, to punish you; and she does it because she wants to make you a good, obedient little girl; and do you not think your mother loves you?” “Oh, yes,” Carry said; “my mother says she loves me, and I know she does.” Little Ellen Raby was leaning against Mary; she was very tired. Harry and Lily had slipped off from the bench where they were sitting, and they were lying on the floor, looking up into Mary’s face while she was talking. Then Mary said, “My little scholars are weary, they have been at school long enough.”